Operators of wireless access systems such as, for example, WCDMA or LTE systems have an interest in offloading uplink IP traffic from certain of their Packet Core nodes and/or transmission network such as, for example, a Gateway GPRS Support Node, a GGSN in a WCDMA system.
One known solution for offloading uplink IP traffic from a node such as a GGSN is to have a so called Traffic Offload Function, a TOF, in the system for diverting certain IP traffic flows from reaching the GGSN in question, and instead letting the TOF direct those IP traffic flows to another node in the system, such as, for example, a secondary or auxiliary GGSN, possibly one with reduced functionality which, however, is enough for the diverted IP traffic flows, as an alternative to which the TOF itself can include such a simplified GGSN functionality.
Drawbacks to the TOF solution to offloading IP traffic from a node such as a GGSN include User Equipment state handling, Mobility, Quality of Service and charging accuracy.